Careers in Aging

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A career in aging may relate specifically to gerontology (the study of aging), geriatrics (the medical aspects of aging) or a myriad of professions and jobs that impact the health and well being of the older adult population in the United States and internationally. For example, stop and consider that banking, architecture, public relations, law all apply directly to older adults.

UCLA is a great place to be if you have already identified a career in aging or if you are beginning to consider a career in aging because it offers programs and training in many of the disciplines that relate to aging. No longer do we draw a box around aging and keep it in the province of medicine. Aging requires an interdisciplinary approach and the invention of novel ways to ensure quality of life for older adults.

Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce, a report from the Institute of Medicine states: “In 2011 the first baby boomers will turn 65, ushering in a new generation of older Americans. The 65-and-older population of the future will be markedly different from previous generations, with higher levels of education, lower levels of poverty, more racial and ethnic diversity, and fewer children. Their most striking characteristic, however, will be their numbers. The aging of the baby boom population, combined with an increase in life expectancy and a decrease in the relative number of younger persons, will create a situation where older adults make up a much larger percentage of the U.S. population than has ever before been the case. Between 2005 and 2030 the number of adults aged 65 and older will almost double, from 37 million to over 70 million, accounting for an increase from 12 percent of the U.S. population to almost 20 percent. While this population surge has been foreseen for decades, little has been done to prepare the health care workforce for its arrival.”

UCLA strives not only to prepare the very best health care workforce through education, clinical training, and research, but also to open the many doors to new careers.

UCLA is a great place to take first steps toward a career in aging. Its education, research, clinical and training riches are unparalleled.